Defenders of the Faith: The Heavy Metal Photography of Peter Beste

The religious ferocity of Heavy Metal fandom is one of the most fervent in the history of subculture. The display of this fervor has been channeled and distilled throughout time into one sacred object: the battle vest. Often referred to as the Kutten (German for monk's robe), the battle vest serves a multitude of purposes: as a musical CV, a badge of authenticity, a creative practice of identity, and a fashion statement. Defenders of the Faith documents the timeless and universal concept of fandom through the elevation of the battle vests, revering them beyond the sweaty bodies they adorn and the pits they live in, to the status of religious artifact.

Photographer Peter Beste has been documenting subcultures for over 20 years. His first book True Norwegian Black Metal (Vice Books) was a portrayal of the extreme end of the genre and the stunning photos contained within translated far beyond the niche fans of the music, selling tens of thousands of copies. His critically acclaimed follow up book Houston Rap showed his breadth as a photographer and Juxtapoz called it "An astonishing and important insight into a great American cultural narrative." Defenders of the Faith is Beste's fourth book that has been edited by Boo-Hooray's Johan Kugelburg and his photographic treatment of traditional heavy metal culture and dress code is similarly striking. Metal fans, fashion enthusiasts, and subculture geeks will come to the book naturally but the images have a gravity of humanity that speaks to universal expression of passion and devotion and make the book instantly relatable.

Heavy Metal has survived and evolved through the decades, always maintaining a deep connection with its audience. The decorative armor of the battle vest serves as a visual history of the genre, memorializing the bands and also telling a personal story of each fan. This collaborative nature has always been at the heart of metal, elevating the individual and the communal beyond the dynamic of performer/audience. As Peter Beste put it himself, "For many, it shows how "true" one is by how authentic their patches are, which festivals they have attended, or which bands you got to see way back when. It is an object that gains in value as it deteriorates, and is pretty much never bought or sold. You have to create your own." Recognizing these personalized artifacts as timeless and artistic expressions of the universal human experience of devotion helps shed light on metal's place within our cultural history.

Author: Peter Beste
Publisher: Sacred Bones Books
Published: 09/24/2019
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 3.50lbs
Size: 11.00h x 8.50w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780999609941

About the Author
Beste, Peter: - Peter Beste (born 1978) is an American documentary photographer who specializes in photographing subcultures. Beste has published two books, True Norwegian Black Metal (Vice Books 2008) and Houston Rap (Sinecure 2013). Beste's work has been published in a variety of journals and has been exhibited in New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Oslo and more.Byford, Biff: - Peter Rodney Biff Byford (born 15 January 1951)[1] is an English singer best known as the lead singer of the heavy metal band Saxon. They released their self-titled debut album in 1979, and became part of what was known as the new wave of British heavy metal, which also included bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. The band had commercial success as well, charting eight UK Top 40 albums and five Top 40 singles between 1980 and 1986.